A Trail of Fire
by TheLovedAndTheLost
Summary: Four young adults wander the land in the wake of Sozin's comet... One has a secret even he doesn't know, two are in love and the third just wants to find his friend. Please read and review! Note: This is set one hundred years before Aang turned up again, when Sozin's comet showed up the first time. ON HIATUS!
1. Prolog

**A Trail of Fire.**

PROLOGUE

The moon shone down on the arcing jets of water of the fountain, making them sparkle. A woman, with pale skin and long black hair that hung behind her in two ponytails, sat and watched the water move, hypnotized by its brilliance.

She jumped, startled, as a stream of water rose from the pool, looped until it formed a ring, shining white in the moon's glow, before it fell back into the water.

She turned, smiling. "Karuta! That was… beautiful." She said, her pale face practically glowing in the moonlight.

"Not as beautiful as you are, Azuri," he replied, his blue eyes shining in the middle of his tanned face. "Come. We should hurry if we do not wish for your husband to be suspicious."

"Well what's the hurry? You leave tomorrow and I want tonight to be special." She stated, blushing at her own hidden meaning.

They walked towards the docks, sticking to the shadows. It would not do for the wife of a nobleman to be seen out at night with a common merchant.

When they reached his ship, she paused and kissed him passionately, saying with actions what she could not, _should_ not, with words. They broke the kiss, breathless, and boarded the ship.

…

She made the walk back alone later that night, face flushed and clothes in disarray. She slipped into bed with her unknowing husband, feeling a guilty at leading him on.

_Nine months later….._

Hatsu waited outside his bedroom, doing his best not to hear the cries and screams coming from inside.

His first son sat with him, sucking on his thumb and clutching a stuffed platypusbear.

The healer stepped out of the door and smiled. "Congratulations are in order, my lord. Her ladyship has given birth to another son! Both she and the baby appear in good health," she said excitedly, over the sound of a crying baby.

"Thank you, Ira," he said calmly. He stood slowly, and motioned to his three year old son. "Come on Altair. Let's go see your mother and new brother."

Walking into the room, he noted that his wife appeared tired, but also a bit apprehensive and fearful. "May I hold him?" he asked.

She nodded with a smile, but the fear did not leave her face as she handed her squalling child over.

He inspected the baby. He had pale skin, like both his parents, and what little hair he had seemed to indicate that he would have black hair when he was older. His eyes were shut.

"What shall we name him?" he asked calmly, patting the baby and rocking in an attempt to sooth the child.

"Nephtes," said Azuri.

He looked down at his baby, and nodded once. Nephtes seemed to fit. The baby began to calm down and opened his eyes, and Hatsu froze in shock.

_His…his eyes!?_

He looked up and glared at his wife. "What is the meaning of this Azuri?" he demanded in rage. "How is this possible?"

His golden eyes glared into her golden eyes, seeking the truth but already knowing it.

She had never been one to marry for anything other than love, and theirs was an arranged marriage.

Nephtes had blue eyes… like his father.

A/N Ooooooh I like how this turned out. Please R&R


	2. A Light In The Sky

**A/n: Here is chptr1 of this fanfic, and the beginning of the story proper. its been 14 years since the prologue, And the world is on the brink of a major change. This story happens BEFORE the events of ATLA, and features original characters. I also plan to mention some 'referred-to-but-not-really-seen' characters.I don't own ATLA, but I do own my original characters.(Nephtes, Altair, Azuri, Hatsu, Karuta) Hope you enjoy my strange writing style!**

**A Trail of Fire**

Chapter One

A Light In The Sky

My name is Nephtes.

This is my story.

It all started one busy day in the market place.

"Stop, thief!"

I pushed my way through the crowd, the stolen apples still tucked into my shirt. I looked behind me – the merchant was still behind me, but his cries hadn't attracted the attention of any guards, thank Agni.

I turned a corner, practically skidding, ducked into a shop and suddenly became very interested in the shopkeeper's wares. Who knew cabbages were so interesting? (!)

After checking both sides of the street for angry sellers, searching guards or both, I adventured out into the street. There were none of those people, to my relief. I discreetly made me way to the agreed location and sat down to wait. I allowed myself a small smile as I chomped into an apple.

The meeting place was an out-of-the-way square not too far from the marketplace. I kept an eye on the crowd, looking for my contact, (or any angry merchants).

Soon enough, an old, dirty bearded man staggered into the square. To any passer-by he would just be an old beggar, just dirty skin and brittle bones. As he left the square, I followed him.

He was my contact. He led me through the city, through short cuts the guards were not to know about. I could hardly contain my excitement. He stopped at the entrance of a dingy, dark alley in the poorest part of town.

"Stay here one moment," he wheezed. Agni he sounded as bad as he looked!

He limped over to a door at the very end, and spoke to the person behind it. I guessed they were exchanging passwords or something similar. Eventually the old man motioned me over. A fresh burst of excitement filled me as I stepped inside the door, held open by a thug I could only assume was the doorman.

I was escorted through hallways and corridors, my impatience building at the anticipation, the silence not helping to relieve the tension. We stopped at a door.

The old man turned to me; "You go in, you bow, and you stay down until you are dismissed. No looking up, no talking except to answer his questions..." he took a rattling breath, then went on; "...and when you speak, speak with respect. There are no names used here, not yours, not his. Got it?"

I nodded silently.

"Good. Do all this and you will get paid. Disrespect him, and you will be lucky to leave without your money." Somehow the threat didn't have as much power when he said it.

'OK Nephtes, this is your chance to score points with the big man.' I thought to myself.

I took a deep breath, and walked in. The room was luxurious, fur carpets on the floor, silver inlaid joinery, and a gold inlaid chair that was facing away from me. 'This must be where he's sitting,' I thought.

I walked up behind the chair and bent into a deep bow, staring at the platypus-bear fur rug. I felt, more than heard the chair pivot, and heard the chiefs' breaths as he inspected me.

"So, you are the boy I've been hearing about?" he asked. His voice was as lick as the scales of a rat-viper.

I answered, "Yes, sir". I wasn't sure if the 'sir' was necessary, but better safe than sorry.

"I've heard good things about you." he said, "Apparently you do good work. Good enough to earn you an audience with me."

I shivered as a cold trickle of fear slipped down my back. Where was this leading?

"Tell me, how old are you?" he asked.

"I'm 14, sir." His questions were beginning to worry me.

"And why are you not at home?" he asked coldly,"Why do you sleep on the streets?"

I gulped nervously. My past was _not_ something I like to go into.

So instead I answered; "I mean no disrespect, sir, but it's a long story." I added, "To shorten it right down, I was cast out of my family by my father."

There was a pause.

"Very well." Did I catch a note of disappointment? I heard movement, then; "You may leave. Let whoever escorted you in know I have approved your payment."

I picked myself up, turned around, and walked out.

"Well?" the old geezer asked, "What'd he say?"

I smiled tiredly, wiping the sweat from my brow.

"He said yes."

It was only when the coins were in my hands that I finally relaxed.

You may be wondering what exactly happened. You see after I was kicked out a year ago, I had to survive either by stealing food, or by working for money. Not a lot of businesses will give a 13 year old a job.

Gangs will, however. The gang whose leader I had just met was the Emberstokers, one of the most influential and notorious gangs in the Fire Nation.

They had just paid me for drawing away the merchant because he hadn't paid the 'protection tax' to the gang. While he had been chasing me, some gang members ruined his stock and store.

Serves him right.

A hand clamped down on my arm, pulling me to a stop and drawing me out of my reverie. I turned to look at the possessor of the hand,

And froze. It was one of the guards, the cold mask staring down at me.

"Why hello, there, sir. What can do for you?" I said, doing my best to remain calm.

"You do know that's not gonna work with me right?" the guard said with a very familiar snort. At this, my face felt hot. This was my brother, Altair.

"There was a ruckus down at the Xu Dao market. You weren't involved with that, were you?" he asked suspiciously. "It has Emberstoker written all over it."

"No, nothing to do with me" I lied, not appreciating the interrogation.

But as I turned to walk away, the coins in my pocket jangled.

"Wait, you have money. You _were_ involved! I told you to stay away from them! They're bad company!"he shouted "You're gonna end up _dead_ and then where're you gonna be?"

"They pay me!" I shot back. "It's the only way I can survive. You don't know what it's like! You've never lived on the streets! And even if you did now, you're old enough to get a respectable job! I can't!"

"But-"

"You never had to live the hard life! No, you were always Father's favourite! His precious little fire-bender!" I had to take a breath, "He only cared about you, and his precious, precious honour. Too precious to tarnish by admitting he had a non-bender son! No, much easier to just cast him out, disown him, and forget about him!"

I was screaming at this point, and we were attracting stares.

Too enraged to talk any longer, I stormed away.

"Nephtes!"

"_Nephtes!_"

I lost him in the crowd.

That night, I climbed up onto a rooftop. Once there, I lay on my back, and stared up at the full moon. I thought about what I had said to Altair, and felt a bit guilty. It wasn't his fault he was a fire-bender, or that I wasn't. It wasn't his fault my father disowned me. And he was the only person looking out for me since then. I had no right to treat him like that. I sighed, and resolved to apologize next time I saw him.

Usually I sleep on the rooftops, (safer than down on the streets) but tonight I couldn't, because of the full moon. I could never sleep on a full moon, not even since I was a child. I'm still not sure if it's a habit or a compulsion. I always had good memories of full moons as a child – my mother would stay up with me, and show me the stars of the night sky. She was always very understanding of my staying up at that time – almost as if she understood _why_ I was like this. I never got around to asking her.

My father was, well, less understanding, (to say the least). In fact, I'd say it downright annoyed him. His response often was; "Go back to bed or (insert threat here)", or; "It's night, Nephtes. Go to bed!", or if he was really annoyed; "Altair's in bed, why aren't you more like him?". After my mother died, I started staying in my room during the full moon, or sneaking out.

I decided not to dwell on those memories, instead focusing on those of my mother. I looked at the stars, identifying constellations.

_Platyursa Major- _the Greater Platypus-Bear.

_Orios- _A great Fire Nation warrior who did such great things, the spirits saw fit to immortalize him in the stars forever

_Maxim Draco- _The Great Dragon, the first mortal being to learn fire-bending from Agni, also immor- Hold on. What's that light in the sky? A bright light, bigger than the stars, hung in the sky just above the horizon, to the left of _Maxim Draco_.

That's strange.

But it's nothing I could do anything about, so I went back to identifying the constellations until dawn.

**A/n: And thus ends the first chapter of a great and perilous adventure. I adapted some constellations to fit the Avatar world. This chapter took me a while to write so some constructive criticism would be helpful, but this is my first fic, so don't hate or you'll never know how it ends. :)**

**please R&R!**


	3. The Bloody Sky

A Trail of Fire

Chapter Two

The Bloody Sky

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><p><strong>Meanwhile, in the centre of the city, in the palace...<strong>

I_ts finally here..._

_Agni's Star is almost upon us..._

_Our destiny is at hand..._

_My destiny is at hand..._

_Soon..._

_I will rule the world!_

"Your highness?"A servant asked, grovelling. "The message has been sent by messenger hawk, Your Highness." The servant gulped before continuing, "All the teams will receive the message before dawn."

"Very good" the man said, "You are dismissed, servant." He turned away, a small, cruel smile spreading across his lips. Today the Fire Nation would make the first step towards conquering the world, and he would rule, and steer the world towards greatness!

Fire Lord Sozin stepped out onto his private balcony, and stared up at the sky. Agni's Star was already visible in the night sky, its light turning the edge of the horizon red, red like the fire Nation emblem.

_Red like blood._

* * *

><p>I woke up some time later. I was still on the roof, but it was clearly day, the suns shining in the sky.<p>

_Wait... the sun**s**?_

I looked up again. Yes, there were two suns. I rubbed my eyes, and looked again. Still two suns hung in the sky, and the sky had turned red.

I shouted down to a passing couple; "Hey! Tell me I'm not crazy, and there actually is two suns in the sky!"

"No, no. That's Agni's Star! It's a comet that passes once every 100 years!" the man shouted with delight. "It grants amazing power to fire-benders while its here! So, no you're not crazy."

As he went about his business, I frowned up at the sky, then did some experimental punches and kicks.

_Nothing. I guess I'm just not a fire-bender._

As if I wanted any more proof of that. I could've sworn some spirit was laughing at me right that instant. I sighed with frustration.

_What was I expecting? An Agni's Star miracle?_

I jumped from roof to roof, heading towards the marketplace. I arrived, and dropped down onto the road. I went to find breakfast.

"There he is!"

Armoured gloves clamped down on my arms. I struggled but couldn't break free.

"That's him! That's the thief!"

I was turned around until I stared into the glowering face of the merchant I met yesterday. I gave him the best glare I had as I was dragged away, and he returned it with interest.

_There's definitely a spirit laughing here somewhere._

* * *

><p>A hawk glided under the scarlet sky, a black ribbon trailing behind it. South it flew, over the ocean, until it reached the edge of an island, with an impressive mountain range. It fluttered into the tent, where it was relieved of its charge – a sealed scroll – rewarded with meat, and given a perch to rest on. The scroll was carried out of the tent, handed to the guard of a larger tent, who took it in to the tent's occupant.<p>

Fire Lord Sozin's best general, General Zoran. He read the scroll, and smiled, an utterly vicious smile.

He was going to enjoy this.

* * *

><p>"Aang?" Monk Gyatso called. "Aang, I didn't see you at breakfast..." he trailed off as he saw Aang's room.<p>

It had been packed up. His wardrobe hung empty, his bed had been made, and a scroll sat on his pillow. Gyatso picked up the scroll, read it, threw it back onto the bed as he ran out of the room.

The Avatar had gone missing.

* * *

><p>"Ready the anti-air defenses! I don't want any of the filthy air-benders to escape!" General Zoran shouted at the men. One of his lieutenants ran up to him.<p>

"What about the women and children, sir?" he asked

Zoran turned and glared into his sub-ordinate's eyes. "Kill all the air-benders, I said!" he growled; "Does that include or not include women and children, _Lieutenant?_" he said the rank as if it was an insult.

"It does, _sir." _the lieutenant remarked coldly, twisting the honorific, giving his commander a look of disgust.

"You'd better remember that, and know this," he lowered his voice "If I catch any hesitation, any unwillingness to fight, any _cowardice_, the culprit can expect a court-martial when we return." he grinned savagely, and added; "and that's if I don't decide to fry them first. Accidents happen on the battlefield all the time"

The lieutenant left, suppressing the shiver of fear and disgust that threatened to rack his body.

* * *

><p>Gyatso leapt through the doors into the Council of Elders, ignoring the whispers that followed him.<p>

"Gyatso! What are you doing here?! You are not an Elder!" yelled the Chief Elder, slowly turning red in indignation.

Gyatso panted; "Aang... he's gone... he left a note..."

"See where your foolish, childish games have landed us?" the Chief shouted. "Now the Avatar has gone, and who knows where he is now!" The Chief was now a dark shade of red, "If it weren't for those pranks you seem to constantly..." The Chief was interrupted by a young monk bursting into the room.

"We're under attack!"

* * *

><p>I sat in my cell quietly. One of the guards was a big, hulk of a man, while the other was smaller, but was older, and clearly more intelligent than his colleague.<p>

"What's your name, young feller?" asked the smaller guard.

I could not see any harm in telling him that, so I said, "Nephtes,". He looked me over, seemingly evaluating me. This put me on edge.

"Have you ever played Pai Sho?" he asked. I shook my head. "What do they teach you youngsters these days?" he muttered to himself, clearly offended by my ignorance. He sighed, then said, "Well, I will teach you," a smile spreading across his face.

And so I was initiated to the ancient game of Pai Sho. The old guard was a dangerous opponent, that much I could tell despite my newness at this game. Obviously I lost. Several times.

Our last game was rudely interrupted by the governor, who walked into the prison drunk. The guard swept away the board and pieces, and showing agility not seen from people his age, jumped back into place just as the governor staggered in.

"So we have a little thief here, eh?" he slurred, "Well, my friend, if you're gunna steal -hic- you're gunna steal from the enemy, ok?" he was quite clearly drunk, and his words were confusing me. He must have seen this, because he went on; "We're at war with the Earth Kingdom now. -hic- Fire Lord's orders. You don't need to worry now though, cause you're banished, ok?" he staggered out.

"Wow. Tough break, kid." the guard said sympathetically. He added, "My name is Alito."

He handed me one of the pieces, saying "Here, have this,"

I examined the piece. It was the white lotus. I asked Alito whathe meant, but he had reassumed the role of 'impassive, unresponsive guard'

It was then that the governor's words really hit me.

I was banished.

Banished from the Fire Nation.

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><p>Zoran's foot soldiers attacked first, prying their way up the cliffs by means of crampons and climbing axes. They flooded the main entrance, keeping up a comet-enhanced wall of flame even the most powerful air-bending could not pierce.<p>

Zoran used his fire to boost himself up the mountain. Every thing was going to plan. He reached the top, gave a battle cry, and sent a burst of fire towards the huge gate. On this signal, all his soldiers did the same. The gates burst under the strain.

No one jumped to defend the temple. The silence sounded strange in the wake of the huge boom of the gates slamming to the ground.

A groan rent the air, as a herd of sky bison burst into the sky. Each bison carried several air-benders, fleeing the scene as fast as they could.

Zoran smiled. Things were going exactly as planned.

"Search the area. Some may have stayed behind." he commanded, face lit up with glee.

* * *

><p>Gyatso sat in the outer courtyard, meditating quietly.<p>

"There's one here!"

Gyatso sighed, and leapt up and into the air, avoiding the fireblast that charred the spot he had been previously. He avoided several more fireblasts, jumping from place to place. More soldiers charged in, attracted by the commotion. Gyatso leaped between two soldiers, and leapt away again. A burst of fire filled the air, hitting the other soldier. Gyatso winced as the soldier screamed.

_Every life is precious, but sometimes you have to defend yourself. _Gyatso thought grimly, and fought on.

* * *

><p>Zoran entered the courtyard, and was greeted by a single Air Nomad jumping through his men, avoiding every single blast. The Commander frowned.<p>

_Curse my incompetent men._

"Surround him with fire, you idiots!" he roared, annoyed with the number of his men he had lost to the monk.

The soldier created a wall, no a dome of fire, pinning the monk in one place.

Zoran dropped into his stance. He moved his arms in a slow circle, gathering sparks.

The monk spun around, forming a ball of air in his hand, obviously planning something. He suddenly expanded the ball, repelling the firewall.

Several more soldiers dropped, but Zoran had the old monk exactly where he wanted him. He completed his movement, then thrust two fingers towards the monk, a bolt of lightning jumping from his fingers, and smiting the old air-bender.

* * *

><p>Even as he died, Gyatso felt satisfied.<p>

_At least some of us escaped, _he thought to himself, as his body shut down.

* * *

><p>The bison flew North-East, where they were ambushed by a fleet of ships. The ships were equipped with weaponry that focused a fire-benders blast into a beam of intense flame. With the comet in the sky, these blasts became wide, unavoidable bursts that not only burnt up bison, but also robbed the sky of the air the bison needed to fly.<p>

Every single bison was shot out of the sky, plunging into the sea still flaming.

* * *

><p>Zoran smiled as Agni's Star left the sky. He had done it. Every air-bender from the Southern Air Temple was dead, including those fat fools that made up their 'council'. Air-benders were such cowards, and did not deserve to live. His smile deepened as he heard the squawk of a messenger hawk leaving the camp.<p>

_Fire Lord Sozin shall reward me for this._

"All four squads report success, Your Highness." the servant said.

"Very good," Sozin said coldly "Send the message to prepare the trap,"

"At once, Your Highness."

Sozin felt cruel joy fill his cold heart.

_The first steps have been made._

_Now to conquer the Earth Kingdom, and the Water Tribes._

_General Zoran would be an excellent man to put in charge of that._

* * *

><p><strong>An I don't own Sozin or Gyatso, or the world and setting of ATLA. I DO own my characters (Zoran, Nephtes, the governor, Alito, Grok, etc.) I also own the plot. (or it owns me IDK) Anyway to clarify a few points**

**-Agni's Star is Sozin's Comet, before it was called that.**

**-Aang has been frozen in an ice berg now. (for 100 years)**

**-Nephtes has been banished from the Fire Nation. He will be dropped of somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.**

**-Altair doesn't know (yet)**

**-Nephtes' mom is dead.**

**I updated this because I felt like I left a lot of details out.**

**Anyway please R&R I really appreciate it!**


	4. Leaving Home

A Trail of Fire

Chapter 3

Leaving Home

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><p>(Altair)<p>

Hey guys, I'm going to take over the story for now, so you people can find out what happened when my brother got himself banished.

First let me explain about my family, since Nephtes probably didn't bother. Caldera City is the capital of the Fire Nation, and is ruled by four different noble families. The city is split in four parts, each representing one of the cardinal points, and each family rules one of these parts. My family rules the north quarter, and have for generations.

In a noble family, there is a head, and there is an heir. The heir must be male, have children, or be capable of having children. The title of head can thus be passed from brother to brother, or father to son in this way.

My family consists of my father, (Hatsu) me, my brother Nephtes, and my uncle, who's at war at the moment. My mother died of an illness when Nephtes was 13, then he was disowned.

And now he's just gone and got himself banished.

Sigh.

* * *

><p>I left the guard station, and walked back to my home. I knocked on my father's office door, and then entered.<p>

"Father," I said respectfully, bowing slightly. "Nephtes was caught stealing from the marketplace. The governor has banished him. Surely you won't allow this?"

I was not sure what father would say. He was very driven by honour, and I wasn't sure which he would find worse – leaving his son to be banished, or stepping in to save him.

"Leave him be," my father said coldly. "He is a criminal."

I protested, "But he's your son! You can't just leave him to be-!"

I stopped as father's face began to turn red. "He is not my son!" he roared, flush with rage. "Haven't you ever noticed, Altair? He has blue eyes! Neither I, nor your mother had blue eyes! So where did he get them from?"

He turned away, leaving me speechless. No wonder father had never liked Nephtes. No wonder he had disowned him without a thought.

I turned around and left the office, a lot on my mind.

Nephtes is my little brother, and as such it was my responsibility to look after him. I began to make a plan.

* * *

><p>(Nephtes)<p>

The ship swayed as it cut through the waves. I was sat in a tiny cell, just high enough for me to stand, and wide enough to lie down. I was thoughtfully provided with straw, which I put to good use, padding the floor to make myself more comfortable. I knew I should have felt sad, for being cast out from my country, but really I was excited. I was going to the Earth Kingdom! From the maps I saw when I was little, the Earth Kingdom was HUGE! And Ba Sing Se looked huge as well, when I compared it to Caldera City.

As far as I was concerned, banishment was much better than death or imprisonment.

There was a shout, and then a guard walked down the stairs into the brig. "Alright folks, the captain wants on deck right away," He said this as he pulled out a set of keys and began to open doors. "No funny business and everything will go fine"

He continued to open doors, and prisoners began to trickle up the stairs. He got to my cell, and I sighed in relief as I stepped out of the cell. I began to walk up the steps, and froze as I heard screams.

"NO NO I don't wanna go!"

"Get out, you scum, or I will burn you!"

"NO, NO, NOOOAAAAAAAARRGGGGHH!"

I felt sick as I continued up the steps. That was downright cruel. On the deck, the prisoners huddled together, and I joined them. A man in armour stood in front of us. The guard reappeared on deck and spoke to the man, who nodded and turned to us.

"Hello, I am Captain Jeroph. All of you have been banished from the Fire Nation, and this will take effect the moment you leave this ship. What banishment means is-"he pulled out a piece of paper and read from it, "-you may not return to Fire Nation land, on pain of death. You may not join the Fire Nation military, on pain of death. You have revoked any status of nobility." He looked up, "We have stopped near the coast. When I give the command, you will jump overboard, and swim to the coast. Any who refuse to do so will be executed." That last part was said with a bit of unease.

"Anchor is down, cap'n!" shouted one of the sailors.

"Very good." He brought his attention back to us, "Go, go, go! Get out of here you lily-livered cowards!" he shouted.

I was one of the first to run and leap the railing, plunging into the cold water. At first I panicked. I had never learnt how to swim! But then I found myself making instinctive movements. I was swimming! I made it to the shore, gasping.

I was one of the lucky ones. Not many had made it to shore, either burning on deck, or drowning in the water.

Nausea overcame me, and I spilled my guts into the surf.

* * *

><p>(Altair)<p>

We are now at war.

Sozin has destroyed the Air Nomads, and provoked the wrath of both the Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom. Luckily for me, this made it incredibly easy to sneak into the hold of a troop transporter. My armour I used while I was a guard was close enough to theirs to fool the guard, and once on board I stole a set from the armoury, as well as a long sword, a short sword, and a dagger. I wrapped up the last two and hid them away. The trip over to the Earth Kingdom took only a week or so, so I would arrive a lot later than Nephtes.

But I would find him, no matter what it took.

* * *

><p>(Nephtes)<p>

I found an Earth Kingdom village. It was quite small, at least compared to Caldera City, but at least it meant there was somewhere safe to sleep. I did the usual, (that is to say, I climbed onto a rooftop) sat down and watched the road.

_I wonder what Altair is doing right now._

_How will he react to my banishment?_

As I pondered this, it began to get dark. I laid back, staring at the sky. I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up with a knife at my throat.


	5. A Brief Interlude

**A/n Muwhhahahahhah you guys are think i'm so evil.  
><strong>

**Anyway to answer some reviews**

**guests (x2) I have edited chapter two (The Bloody Sky) to show more details on the Genocide. Thanx for the review!**

**Obvious_ghost Thanx for the insight on certain aspects, good for you on your review**

**mmt Thanx a bunch for your review, its good to know im appreciated, also thank you for becoming the first to fave and follow this story. the first of many I hope.**

**And because i enjoy bribery, review and you may get a mention in an authors note. NO flames, im not that kinky.**

**Check out mmt, they have some good stories, especially Job-Hopping: ATLA Style! its v. funny**

**Nuff said. You now have the necessary clearance to read this fic.**

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><p><strong>A Trail of Fire.<strong>

Chapter Four

A Brief Interlude

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><p>==The day before the comet==<p>

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The two friends screamed in delight as they slid down the chute in a stone cart, hanging on tightly as the slope levelled out, then dropped out beneath them. The wind ripped through their hair as they grinned in delight and exhilaration.

Unfortunately, the ride came to a stop, slowing down at the bottom. They were still gasping as they pulled themselves free, still buzzing from the thrill.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You're a mad genius, Bumi." Kuzon said with a smile, gesturing to the cart.

"Heh heh heh –snort snort- heh heh "laughed Bumi. "I know, Kuzon. But there's been a certain visitor who I've been missing recently, and I don't think he visited you either."

"Uh huh" said Kuzon, unsure where this was going.

"So, have you heard from Appa?" Bumi asked with a completely serious face.

Kuzon stared at his friend for a moment, and then doubled over laughing. Bumi joined him, laughing and snorting in mirth.

Once they calmed down though, Kuzon's face once again turned sad.

"We haven't heard anything from him at all." Kuzon said quietly. "You, don't think anything's wrong, do you?"

"Hey!" interrupted one of the chute operators "What in the name of Oma and Shu do you kids think you're doing?" He chased the boys away from the chute, but they lost him in the streets.

_The next day…_

Kuzon walked out of his room, whistling happily to himself. Today he was in a good mood, and he felt full of life and energy.

"Have a good sleep, honey?" his mum asked him sweetly, "Todays a great day for our nation, you know." Her smile was infectious, spreading to his face.

He sat down and replied, "I slept well, mother. How about you?" he began eating as he waited for a reply.

His mother finished her mouthful. "Good. Like a baby," she beamed.

"That's good mother. I'm going to Bumi's, be back soon" he set down his bowl and began to leave, but he was interrupted by his mother; "Now honey, today Agni's Star is out, so try not to fire-bend or you could cause problems. Be careful alright honey?"

"Yeah whatever mother" he said dismissively. _Gah _he thought _my mother is so embarrassing sometimes. I'm sixteen, I can look after myself._

And on that note, he left for a day of fun with Bumi.

That day, Bumi showed Kuzon their new hideout. He had found a roof consisting of a pyramid surrounded by a level edge about pace wide. The pyramid was about four paces wide, and taller than both boys. Bumi had hollowed out the inside of the pyramid, forming a secret area no one would ever find. He had 'acquired' some light crystals, (Kuzon became suspicious at the use of the word) and planted them in the walls. All in all, it was a really awesome hideout. Kuzon was impressed by how much Bumi's earth-bending skills had improved.

That night, he thought about his friend Aang. Aang was an air-bender, and a fun-loving, carefree person. He was also the Avatar, however and Kuzon knew he had to train to learn the elements, but Kuzon just wished he could have his friend back.

==Back to the present==

Kuzon sat outside the hideout, scanning the sky with grim despair.

_He can't be dead… not Aang…_

Aang had always seemed so alive, so free. He couldn't have been killed.

But seven days had passed since Sozin's Comet, (as they called it now) and Aang hadn't turned up.

_We're his friends. If he was… he would have come here by now! Or sent a message. _

Kuzon turned away, grief etched on his face. He had been forced to sit here, watching the sky after the incident a couple days ago.

"_Hey kid, are you Fire Nation?" asked the merchant, narrowing his eyes suspiciously._

"_Um… yes, why?" Kuzon asked in confusion, the merchant hostility put him on edge._

_The merchant gasped, and an expression of utter hate and revulsion crossed his face. "He's one of THEM!" he shouted "One of those monsters!" The crowd began to murmur, eyeing Kuzon as if was going to explode there and then._

"_You're not welcome here, you little monster!" the merchant hissed._

_Kuzon's heart filled with terror. He ran, leaving the market and the look on the merchant face well behind him._

Kuzon sighed. It had probably been a good thing he hadn't fire-bent then or he probably wouldn't have been able to leave alive. He looked up at the sky again.

_Where are you Aang?_

Bumi climbed up to the hideout, a basket of food in one arm. Ever since that incident, Kuzon had never been able to return to the market, so Bumi had brought him food since. He got to the top, and set down his load. He was worried about Kuzon. The guy had been worrying himself to death about Aang, and it was only a matter of time before that turned to depression.

A quiet "Thanks" reached Bumi's ears, as he dragged in the food. Kuzon couldn't do anything here, so he could only think about Aang, and that was what was getting to him. At least Bumi could go places, do things to distract himself.

Kuzon couldn't.

"Kuzon you can't just stay here and mope until Aang turns up." Bumi said, a tone of worry slipping into his voice. "You're just depressing yourself"

Kuzon looked up at Bumi, and shouted; "But I have to be here! What if Aang shows up here? What if I don't see him?"

Bumi shook his head; "What if Aang is at a secret location, learning the elements, his very existence kept secret so that he can surprize the Fire Lord and defeat him?" he asked. "How long do you think that would take? Mastering three elements? A couple years, perhaps?"

"Are you really sure it's a good idea to sit near a thirty foot drop, while you wait a couple years for a friend who you're not sure is still alive?" Bumi asked, cocking his head to one side.

Kuzon was not convinced; "He's still alive! I know it! He can't be dead! He's the Avatar, for Agni's sake!" His face was red with anger.

He turned away, the anger dissipating. "He can't be dead. He can't be. He's my friend" The last words were spoken in a soft tone of sadness.

Bumi considered his next words carefully; "As the wise spirit Kibeth once said, 'It is better to be doing.'. I think it would be better if you went looking for Aang rather than waiting for him here."

Kuzon sighed, "I guess you're right."

Bumi smiled. Sometimes mad geniuses could be completely right.

* * *

><p><strong>An (cont) Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, or anything that could be taken to be a creation of the real owners.  
><strong>

**I do own my OCs, the plot (to an extent) and a computer. And pants. Yeah I definitely need pants.**

**Ahem**

**This was necessary to get the story moving along. I don't know what to think about this really so i'm relying on you reviewers to tell me what you think.**

**Also I'm holding the next chapter hostage until I get 10 reviews, so get to it!**


	6. Beginnings

A Trail of Fire

Chapter Five

Beginnings

* * *

><p>"<em>Give me all your money, kid!" grunted the thug, holding the knife to my throat. His weight pushed down on my legs, crushing them.<em>

"_I don't have any!" I cried, desperately trying to move away from the sharp knife, trying to pull away from this evil man._

"_Give it to me!" growled the thug, poisoning the air with his horrible breath. I choked and struggled harder. He just shifted his weight, and grunted; "Or I'll slit your throat, you little pest." He pushed the blade closer to my neck to push the point home._

"_No! Leave me alone!" I cried out, grabbing his hand with the knife. I tried to force it away, but he was too strong. "Help! Somebody!" I shouted hoping to get someone's attention._

"_Hey! What's going on here?" shouted a new voice. "Get off him, you thug. He's just a kid!"_

_The criminal was pulled off my chest, revealing two night guards, one who was cuffing the criminal, while the other held a flame to his throat. I sat up, groaning as my legs protested, sore from being sat on._

"_You okay, kid?" asked the second guard. I just nodded, my voice too hoarse to speak. "I'm Alito" the guard said; "You shouldn't sleep on the streets, kid. It's not safe."_

_I nodded again. Alito gave me his hand, and pulled me to my feet._

"_Well, see you round, kid." Alito said with a smile, as he joined his colleague, escorting the thug to the guard station._

_As he left I turned and walked down the alley. From there I pulled myself up and onto the rooftops. I found myself a shelter from the wind and laid down, but I couldn't sleep._

_It would be a while before I got a decent sleep._

* * *

><p>(Altair)<p>

I feel sick.

Every move the ship makes just adds to the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I learned in school that Tui and La are the spirits of the Moon and Ocean, (respectively) and I can't help but wonder if La has it out for me.

_Well I hope he like the 'sacrifices' I gave him_, I thought, referring to my days spent forcing food into my belly, only to lose it over the side again. It was getting to the point I would just throw the food overboard, to skip that step.

But it's been 5 days, and the coast is in sight. Soon I will be able to find Nephtes.

_Then what? _ A small voice whispered in the back of my mind. It had been bothering me since I left. Like always, I ignored it.

* * *

><p>(Nephtes)<p>

I woke up, still on the roof. I sat up, taking in the view of the sunrise over the hills. I sighed in relief, and then I picked myself up off the roof. I needed new clothes, as the ones I was wearing were bound to attract attention to me. I don't think Earth Kingdom villagers are fans of red.

One short visit to a washing line later and I was clothed in unfamiliar green and brown. I walked into town, picking up a nondescript bag and a pair of shoes from the market while the sellers weren't looking. I stopped by a fish seller. There was a sign out the front. I read:

'Help wanted'

I walked in. The fish shop was small, squalid and it smelled of fish. On both sides of the shop, fish lay on top of a layer of ice, and a small counter crossed the rear of the room. A bell sat on the counter, shining silver in the corner. I picked it up and swung it gently, and a clear tinkling filled the air.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" A shout came from outside. "Just give me a minute," Then an old, wrinkled man bustled into the shop, carrying two fish which he chucked onto one of the piles of ice. He then turned to me. "Now, what can I do for you today, young man? I have tuna-sardines, salmon-sardines…"

I interrupted before he could continue; "You have a sign out front." I asked, before continuing; "I would like to apply for the job, sir"

He appeared to ponder this, rubbing his beard thoughtfully; "You know, you don't look like you're from these parts. You'd need to prove yourself to be trustworthy." He gave me a pointed look, adding; "Starting by returning my bell."

I flushed guiltily, returning the bell to the table. When I get nervous I pocket things. It's a habit that has saved me in the past, but it wouldn't help me here. I apologised to him.

This seemed to make him even more thoughtful. "You acknowledged your mistake. Hmmmmm…" He smiled; "Alright, I'll give you a try." The smile still on his face he began to interrogate me.

"Can you swim?"

"Yes,"

"Have you ever been on a sailing ship before?"

"No"

"On any ship at all?"

"Yes"

"Do you get seasick?"

"What's seasick?"

"I'll take that as a 'no'."

His smile widened.

"Do your parents know you're here?"

I lowered my eyes, and shook my head.

"Do you still live with them?" asked the old fisher, an unreadable expression on his face.

I shook my head again. I hadn't lived with my parents since my disownment.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" The old fisher's eyebrow was quirked, and he watched me closely. I got the unsettling feeling he was reading me, trying to pick up lies.

"No," I answered, lifting my head and meeting his eye, "I sleep on rooftops at night."

This seemed to satisfy the old man, as he nodded to himself. He considered a moment, his eyes shut, and then he snapped them open.

"You got the job!" he said with a broad smile, leaning forward and shaking my hand. "I'm Juke, and as you can probably guess, I'm a fisher and fish seller!"

He finished shaking my hand, and while still holding it, he pulled me through the flap at the rear of the stall. He pulled me down a small alley, and down to the docks. I stopped, still stunned at the old man's actions. He gestured to a small house across from the docks.

"This is my house. This is where you will report at the start of every day, and where you can find me if I'm not at the boat, or at the shop." He gestured towards the docks, at a large sail ship tied up at the docks. "This is my ship. This is where you will be staying, and where we'll be fishing. Won't it be fun? Fishing, just the two of us?" he raised and lowered his eyebrows at me. I just stared.

"Wait, just the two of us are going to sail that?" I asked, pointing at the ship. It had multiple sails and masts, and it all looked very complicated.

"What?" Jute gasped; "No! That's not _my_ ship. Jeez I'm not that rich." He pulled me closer to the docks, and pointed down at a much smaller ship that had been concealed by the edge of the dock. This ship had a single mast, and only a few sails.

"_This_ is my ship!" Jute chuckled as he jumped down onto the ship. He pried open a small door, set into the deck, to reveal a tiny cabin with a bed taking up most of the room. "And here's your room!"

I jumped down onto the deck, and then down into the cabin. I flopped down onto the bed. The room was tiny, but it was better than roofs. The ship swayed in the water, with an almost familiar motion.

_Push and pull._

Wait where did that come from?

"Well, what do you think?" Jute grinned at me in anticipation. The fisher seemed almost childlike, in spite of his age.

"I like it." I said with a smile. I then looked around and confusion took over. "Hey, where do I put my stuff?" I asked.

The old fisher chuckled, "Under the bed, of course!"

I lifted up the edge of the bed, revealing an empty compartment. I placed my bag into the cupboard and put the bed back down on top of it. I turned to Juke and echoed his smile, and followed him out.

* * *

><p>(Altair)<p>

We made port today, and no one noticed as I left the ship, blending into the crowd. I brought my old clothes, the short sword and dagger, and some food. I wore my armour, as well as the sword I forged myself when I was a boy. I left town and entered the countryside, as the sun went down. I found a barn, and jumped through one of the windows. I made a bed for myself with the hay, laid down and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>(Nephtes)<p>

We walked back to Juke's house. He had been showing me around town, pointing out landmarks, as well as merchants who would give you a good deal, and those who would rob you blind. This was apparently 'so you know where to get supplies if I need you to go buy them'.

Anyway, we made our way to his house. He walked into the house, calling; "Honey, I'm home! And we have a new employee! So set the table for five please, my dear turtle-duck!"

A lady walked into the hallway and I stopped as she hugged Juke, then I averted my eyes as they kissed.

"DADDY!"

Juke stumbled into me as he was tackled by a young boy. He chuckled and rubbed his son's head, still embracing his wife. "Okay you can let go of Daddy now, Daro" His words were not heard, Daro refusing to budge.

Juke turned towards me, still chuckling as he tried to not fall over his son. "Nephtes, this is Eskina, , my wife."

He gestured to the back and pair of arms gripping his shins; "This is my five year old son, Daro"

He called down the hall; "Aya! We have a visitor! Come and say hi!"

A girl joined us in the hallway. She appeared to be about my age, she had long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She was slightly tanned, (like her father) and she appeared to be very graceful. (Not that any of that matters. At all)

"Aya, this is Nephtes. Nephtes, this is my fifteen year old daughter, Aya"

She looked at me, and I caught a glimpse of emerald coloured eyes, before she looked away.

"Umm… hi, I mean, ah how are you?" she said shyly, still not looking at me.

_Was she blushing?_ I asked myself.

I replied; "Hi, I'm good thanks." I smiled at her; "It's nice to meet you."

I looked back at Juke, who seemed to be switching his gaze between the two of us. He gave me an appraising look, and then said to his wife; "Shall we retire to the dining room, my dear?"

She smiled, and went back to the kitchen. Juke attempted to waddle into the dining room, his son giggling the whole time. I followed behind Aya, taking a seat across from Juke.

Daro had been removed from his father's shins, and now sat next to his father. He looked at me, and asked; "Where are you from?"

I squirmed in my seat. That morning I had just heard two men talking and I discovered the Earth Kingdom was at war with the Fire Nation.

"Far away." I covered.

"Where you going?"

"I don't know." I answered, which was true enough.

"Are you in love with Aya?" Daro examined me suspiciously, as if I was a dangerous crook.

Which I suppose I was.

"Uhhhh…" I said, looking at Aya, (who was blushing furiously, and trying desperately not to show it) "I think your sister is very nice." I avoided.

Aya blushed even more.

Luckily Eskina arrived with food, distracting Daro before he could ask any more embarrassing questions. We ate quietly, and I was struck by the fact I had not eaten with a family for a long time. Almost half a year, in fact. Not since…

I stopped that train of thought before it could go any further. It was just too painful.

Afterwards Juke escorted me across to the boat.

"Now you see these knots?" he pointed out three ropes tied onto the dock; "If these aren't tied, or if there's a problem with them, you come get me. Otherwise you could float away in the night"

That thought didn't really appeal to me.

"Now you'll need to check them each day before you go to sleep." Juke yawned like a cow-hippo. "Come to the house first thing for breakfast, and to start work" he climbed back up to the dock. "Goodnight Nephtes" he called as he walked back to his house.

I dropped down into my new cabin, and locked the trapdoor behind me. I flopped down on the bed and my eyes slowly began to close.

* * *

><p>(Altair)<p>

The sun rose over the horizon, bringing day to the world.

A scream rent the air, and I snapped my eyes open in panic.

* * *

><p><strong>An Yes, I know I was supposed to hold this untill I got 10 reviews, but this was burning a hole in my head until i posted it. So all yous can count yourselves lucky.**

**But this time, I'm definitely serious. No chapter until 10 reviews.**

**I'm cereal**

**Super cereal.**

**Anyway I made an effort to write a longer chapter this time, so review to tell me if you like them this length, or if you want to keep it short, but updated more often.**

**Check out my other story i'm writing, it kinda needs some love. It's called Bedtime Stories and its about stories an old grampa tells his dear grandson about the world, and spirits. Only one chapter so far, but more are coming!**

**Ok now you have read this authors note, you now have the necessary clearance to review.**

**REVIEW III**


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